Women-only dating app Tea suffers catastrophic data leak
A viral safety app designed for women has leaked over 72,000 images and ID documents due to unsecured AI-generated code.

Tea, a women-only dating app, has suffered a massive data breach after its backend was found completely unsecured. Over 72,000 private images and more than 13,000 government-issued IDs were leaked online.
Some documents were dated as recently as 2025, contradicting the company’s claim that only ‘old data’ was affected. The data, totalling 59.3 GB, included verification selfies, DMs, and public posts. It spread rapidly through 4chan and decentralised platforms like BitTorrent.
Critics have blamed Tea’s use of ‘vibe coding’, AI-generated code with no proper review, which reportedly left its Firebase database open with no authentication.
Experts warn that relying on AI tools to build apps without security checks is becoming increasingly risky. Research shows nearly half of AI-generated code contains vulnerabilities, yet many startups still use it for core features. Tea users are now urged to monitor their identity and financial data.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!